The Marine Museum at Fall River is a cultural gem and contains a wealth of Fall River Maritime History especially Steam Ship and Titanic memorabilia. Discover the art, books, models and many treasures the Marine Museum holds. This is a must see
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The Marine Museum at Fall River is a cultural gem and contains a wealth of Fall River Maritime History especially Steam Ship and Titanic memorabilia. Discover the art, books, models and many treasures the Marine Museum holds. This is a must see resource for landlubbers and mariners alike.

Carol Gafford is a public librarian, family historian, amateur archivist and book savior. She is currently the youth services/outreach librarian at the Swansea Public Library and volunteers for several museum and historical societies including the Marine Museum at Fall River, the Swansea Historical Society and the Bristol Historical and Preservation society. She is the editor of Past Times, the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists and is always looking for a new project to take on.

Alexander Payne’s Nebraska is about an elderly man named Woody Grant (played brilliantly by Bruce Dern) who thinks he won a million dollars in a sweepstakes. Of course, the Publishers Clearinghouse-style letter informing him of his winnings is a sham and everyone in his family tells him so, but he remains determined to collect his prize. His son David (Will Forte), who mostly feels bad for him but also wants a chance to bond, offers to drive him to his home state of Nebraska so that he can attempt to claim his jackpot.

A stop in Woody’s hometown introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters. Behind the facade of heartland values and relentless midwestern politeness, most of these people are hiding lifetimes of regret and disappointment. They’re stuck in time, and it’s not clear whether the rest of the world left them behind or they just chose not to keep up. The stark black and white cinematography only underlines the fact that they seem trapped in a bygone era. When the false news spreads that Woody is now a millionaire, a vague sense of resentment and jealousy begins bubbling to the surface of their small town. Suddenly, many of these old friends and distant family members start recollecting loans and favors they granted Woody decades earlier, and to them, it’s only right that they be repaid now that Woody has struck it rich.

The film, though certainly tinged with melancholy, could have been much more depressing were it not for Payne’s tender direction. He’s from the midwest himself, and has a real reverence for these people. He also has an acerbic sense of humor that cuts through some of the darker moments. The performances are also great - including June Squibb as Woody’s wife - but it’s Dern’s performance that is crucial. He talks rarely and drinks frequently, and it’s not immediately clear why he clings so tightly to the fantasy that he’s won a million dollars. He’s never been rich, but he’s near the end of his life and doesn’t really need the money. It seems to me that the real reason Woody wants the prize is because it will give him something else he’s never had: the chance to be a winner.